Skirt marker



Juy 15, 1952 2 SHEETSf-SHEET 1 Filed Sept. 28. 1949 4 W md Q m z .w

July 15, 1952 H. A. RElcl-l 2,602,999

SKIRT MARKER Filed sept. 28, 1949 2 sHEETs-sx-IEET 2 Patented July 15, 1952 UNITED lSTATEIS PATENT OFFICE SKIRT MARKER Harold A. Reich, New York, N. Y.

Applieation'September 28, 1949, Serial No.`118,430

` 10 clzims. (cl. 88-9) The invention here disclosed relates to skirt markers.

Objects of the invention are to provide a useful, practical form of skirt markerl which can be produced at low cost. which will be quickly and easily adjusted and which, in addition to simplicity of structure, will be of attractive design and appearance.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a skirt marker of well balanced construction, adapted to stand, where placed and as. adjusted.

A special feature of the invention is the combining with the device of a resilient base formation prcviding a desirable balance effect and serving, when desired, as a cushion for pins and needles and the like.

Other desirable objects and novel features of the invention are definitely set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate present commercial embodiments of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed as regards this illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed. i

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a perspective view o one of the markers with the tape fully lowered in the hollow postand case forming part of the device;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged Vertical sectional view showing the tape which is looped in the case, partially withdrawn and extended at the top;

Fig. 3 is a front or edge view of the device as shown in Fig. 2, brokenaway and in section at the bottom of the case;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross sectional details as on substantially the planes of line 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of,Fig. 2; p

Fig. 6 is a broken Vertical sectional .detail as on the plane of line 6+6v of Fig; 2;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional detail as on substantially the plane of line 'l-l of Fig.` 2;

Fig. 8 is a Vertical sectional view of a modification; and Figs. 9, 10 and 11 sectional view's'on lines 9 -9 and |0-I0 of Fig. 8 and line ll-ll ofFig.9;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of'the sheet metal base plate.

As shown in thev'several views, the Vdevice comprises a length vof `steeltape AIll of the selfstraightening, -fconcavo-convex, cross sectional type, doubled on itself in the form of a loop ll `confined within a case IZ 'and having one end of the loop anchored as at |3 within the case and the other end. at Ill, withdrawable straight up through the top of the case.

This tape may be graduated or marked as indicated at l5, to show when read at the top of the case, the skirt length or distance from the floor.

The case is shownv in Fig. 7 as madeup of a single piece of sheet material folded on itself into reotangular cross sectional form with overlapping edge portions of the same secured together by rivets, one of these being the rivet |3 which fastens the fixed end of'the tape to the casing, and other rivets |6,'|1, securing the intermediate and lower end portions of the casing together.

As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, the casing so provided is of relatively thin, flat formation, just slightly larger than the looped portion of the tape so as to lightly and loosely confine this portion withoutv unduly restricting or interfering with its free withdrawal from and return to the casing. 4

To guide and yieldingly confine the tape where it issues through the top of the casing, .there is provided in the illustration, a plug or closure Is fitting into the top .ofV the casing and having a dependent flange 9 engaging over three of the edges of the casing. At the other, remaining edge, the plug member is cut'back from the face of the adjoining wall at 20, on substantially parallel lines, to aiford sliding clearance for the concavely bent, stilfened tape, the flange |9 holding the plug in this position with the clearance surface 20 providing, with the casing wall, a straightthrough guide passage for the tape.

The closure |8 in the top of the casing, by thus holding an appreciable portion of the stiffened tape in engagement with the wall of `the casing, serves to direct and brace the extended portion of the tape .upwardly to any necessary'length above the top of the casing.

The finger grip terminal piece M at the upper end of the tape provides a gage for locating pins or drawing a chalk line at the measured length on the skirt. l i

The verticallyvextended casing may beof yrelatively short length since the doubled portion of the tape provides suficient length for any normal skirt measurement within a reasonably low height of casing.4 The over-all dimensions ofaeoaeec tape and firm but yieldable holding of the tape in its extended position, the closure and guiding member 18 may be of plastic material. This is non-corrosive, assuring an open guideway for the tape, and also has somewhat of a frictional holding effect on the tape.

The base portion of the device is shown as provided by a plate 2| having an upward extension 22 shaped to fit' into the bottom of. the casing.

Additionally, the base is shownas made up of a cushion 23 of foam rubber or other resilient material shaped to closely fit about the casing and over the base plate 2|.

This cushion is shown as of upwardly tapered formation to assist in bracing and securing the tubular casing on the base plate, and is shown further as flanged down about the edgesof the base plate at 24 to firmly grip the latter and 25, Fig 2, are being inserted'in. or removed from the cushion.

The device is of particularly neat and attractive appearance, takes up but small space when not in use and is instantly usable by simply placing it on the fioor and' pulling up the tape to the desired skirt length position. Then the skirt may be marked by inserting pins or applying a chalk mark or .the like at the heightV indicated by the gage piece Hi on the upper end of the tape or rule.

The guide piece 18 holds the enclosed portion of the tape in straight, firm engagement with the adjoining wall of the. casing so that the tape may be extended upward in a straight length to the full distance permitted by the size of the loop I. When fully extended the rounded, lower portion 26 of the combined plug and guide IB will prevent the loop portion of the tape from breaking down or collapsing at the point of issuance from the casing. This dependent tape restrainingi portion 26 thus prevents the tape from being withdrawn so far or so sharply bent as to collapse or bend over where it extends up above the top of the casing. Hence the tape is maintained stiff and straight to whatever extent it may be projected above the casing or hollow post structure.

The inclined sided cushion may be variously colored to match the finish of the upright post structure and thus add further ornamentation in addition to providing balance, cushioning and temporary anchorage of the marker on the floor surface.

The device can be produced at particularly low cost. The casing may be made up of rectangular tubing or folded in sheet material, secured for instance, by rive'ts or similar fastenings, one orrmore .of which may be utilized for fastening the fixed end of. the extensible tape loop. Only a relatively short length of tape is required since the post or hollow standard provides an appreciable portion of the over-all extent of measurement and the doubled formation of the tape enables a considerable length .of tape to be housed within a fairly short post structure.

Aside from the rivets shown, no other fastenings are required since the tape guiding plug may have a close friction fit in the upper end of the casing and the lower end of the casing 4 have a friction fit over the shaped extension of the base, with the over-applied cushion tending to bind, brace and hold these parts in their assembled relation.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 to 12, the fixed end of the tape is held by being inserted in a split portion 21 in the underside of the block or plug 28 closing the upper end ofthe casing.

This block maybe of plastic or a more resilient material such as rubber and the slot for holding the end of the tape may simply be a deep Vcut made in the intermediate portion of the block.

One main advantage of this construction is that the casing and base may be completed as one unit and' the. tape be connected with the plug andthen inserted in the top of the casing as a part of the final assembling operation.

To secure the parts in this finally assembled relation, thesidesof 'the casing may be indented as indicated at 29, into opposte sides of the resilient b1ock,cn opposite sides of the cut therein, to securely fasten the block in the casing and to hold the split portions of the block together into firmly gripped engagement with the end of the tape.

Secured in this relation, the looped portion of the tape will bow rearwardly against the back wall of the casing, as shown in Fig. 8, to brace the forward, extensive end of the tape. flat andv straight against the forward wall of the casing.

The base structure, in this modified form of the invention, is shown as made up of a flat plate 30 of Sheet metalV having oppositely disposed lugs 3| struck upwardly therefrom to enter and fit tightlyagainst opposite side walls of the casing, these being shown as having outwardly projecting indentations `32` entering correspondingly located openings. 33 to lock the parts together in the relation shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The base plate 30 is further shown as having rounded domes or projections 34 providing smooth supports forl engagement with a floor or other supporting surface.

The cushion 35 in this second form of the invention is shown as having a web 36 across the bottom of the same, closing the otherwise open lower end of the tubular casing, this web being molded or formed With openings 31 therethrough to pass the upwardly projecting casing supporting and holding lugs 3|. Here, as in the first form illustrated, the resilient cushion aids in compacting and holding the parts together in their interlocked, assembled relation.

As an additional feature, the metal base piece, whether in the form first shown or last described, may be of a magnetic material and be magnetized so as to be useful for picking up pins and needles on the floor. etc. i,

What is claimed is:

1. The skirt'marker herein disclosed and comprising a length of self-straightening tape doubled in U formation, an elongated upright casing loosely containing said U formation of tape and having an openingtin the'top of the same, one end of said tape extending up through said opening and the other end of said tape being secured within the casing, said opening in the top of the casing being provided in part by a plug of plastic materialseated in the upper end of the casing with cle'arance between the same and an adjoining wall of 'the casing for passage of the tape and said plug having a rounded loop aeoaeee restraining extension projecting downwardly into the casing within the loop formation of the tape.

2. The skirt marker herein disclosed and comprising a length of self-straightening tape doubled in U formation, an elongated upright casing loosely containing said U formation of tape and having an opening in the top of the same, one end of said tape extending up through said opening and the other end of said tape being secured within the casing, a base plate having a portion projecting up into the lower end of said casing and a cushionv engaged about said casing and over the edge portion of said base plate.

3. -The skirt marker herein disclosed comprising an upright tubular casing, a plug of resilient material closing the upper end of the casing and having a split in the lower portion of the same within the casing and a length of selfstraightening tape doubled in a dependent loop within the casing and having one end entered and held between the split portions of the plug and the other end extended up through the top of the casing at one side of the plug.

4. The skirt marker herein disclosed comprising an upright tubular casing, a plug of resilient material closing the upper end of the casing and having a split in the lower portion of the same within the casing and a length of self-straightening tape doubled in a dependent loop within the casing and having one end entered and held between the split portions of the plug and the other end extended up through the top of the casing at one side of the plug, and means securing said resilient plug in position in the top of the casing and holding the split-apart portions of the plug together in gripping engagement with the inserted end of the tape.

5. A skirt marker comprising a vertically elongated tubular casing of rectangular cross section, a doubled loop of self-straightening tape loosely confined in said casing and having one end extending up through the top of the casing, a closure for the upper end of the tubular casing having clearance for upward passage of said one end portion of the tape and means carried by said closure for securing the opposite end of the tape within the casing.

6. A skirt marker comprising a vertically elongated tubular casing of rectangular cross section, a doubled loop of self-straightening tape loosely confined in said casing and having one end extending up through the top of the casing, a closure for the upper end of the tubular casing having clearance for upward passage of said one end portion of the tape and means carried by said closure for securing the opposite end of the tape within the casing, including separated portions of said closure between which the end of the tape is engaged and which are confined by the casing in gripping engagement with said interposed end of the tape.

7. A skirt marker comprising a vertically elongated tubular casing of rectangular cross section, a double loop of self-straightening tape loosely confined in said casing and'having one end extending up through the top of the casing, a closure for the upper end of the tubular casing having clearance for upward passage of said one end portion of the tape and means carried by said closure for securing the opposite end of the tape within the casing, including separated portions of the closure between which the end of the tape is engaged, said closure being of resilient material and the casing having inwardly extending projections engaging said separated portions at opposite sides of the interposed end of the tape.

8. A skirt marker comprising an upright, tubular case, a base plate having upstruck lugs entered within and interlockingly engaged in the lower end portion of the case and a self-straightem'ng tape rule confined within and extensible up through the top of the case.

9. A skirt marker comprising an upright, tubular case, a base plate having upstruck lugs entered within and interlockingly engaged in the lower end portion of the case, a self-straightening tape rule confined within and extensible up through the top of the case and a cushion of resilient material engaged about the lower end of said case over said base plate.

10. A skirt marker comprising an upright, tubular case, a laterally extended base at the lower end of said case for mounting and supporting said case in self-sustained upright relation, a downwardly extending single U-shaped loop of self-straightening tape rule loosely confined in said case, means supporting one end of said U-shaped loop of said rule at the upper end of said case and means guiding the other end portion of said rule slidably up through the topof the case and including a member projecting downwardly from the top of the case inside the loop of said tape to limit and restrict the extent of upward withdrawal of the U-shaped loop from within the case.

HAROLD A. REICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,129,908 Ryan Mar. 2, 1915 1,177,901 Schuman Apr. 4, 1916 1,374,029 Prickett Apr. 5, 1921 1.858,752 Sentney May 17, 1932 2,055,281 Dulczewski Sept. 22, 1936 2,058,340' Miller Oct. 20, 1936 2.142,387 Udell Jan. 3, 1939 2,145,038 Benton Jan. 24, 1939 2.185,443 Kreutz Jan. 2. 1940 2,282,509 Ashmusen May 12, 1942 2,455,506 Leslie Dec. '7, 1948 

